The new operation was called the Nantahala Outdoor Center. The riverside property that Holden purchased was a small complex on winding, two-lane U.S. 19 catering to mountain motorists, not paddlers.

Answer: You’re right on the money: The school in question is the Nantahala Outdoor Center in Bryson City, North Carolina–known by kayaking insiders simply as NOC. Part paddling school, part ...